Tramway, railway, and like crossings



2 Sheets-Sheet l T. P. STRICKLAND ET AL TRAMWAY, RAILWAY, AND LIKE CROSSINGS Filed Sept. 28, 1938 I M A m K m S L m m H M n 411.4 TEAFIVCE a Sept. 10, 1940. T. P. STRICKLAND El AL 2,214,489

TRAMWAY, RAILWAY, AND LIKE CROSSINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I IIIIII; I

. l w- I III (II/IIIIIIIIIIIIIII I i I'III/ I I l 7 WK TIMIR A7" Patented Sept. 10, 1940 TRAMWAY, RAILWAY, LIKE CROSSINGS Tom Percival Strickland, Toorak, Victoria, and Allan Terence OMeara, Camberwell, Victoria,

Australia Application September 28, 1938, Serial No. 232,074 In Australia April 19, 1938 7 Claims. (01246-457) This invention relates to tramway, railway and like crossings, frogs, intersections and the like of the kind adapted for use with flanged wheels and in which a groove or flangeway is formed across the head of each rail at each rail intersection, so as to permit the passage of the flanges of the wheels as the rail vehicles traverse the crossing.

During the passage of a tramc'ar, train or like rail vehicle over such a crossing, an impact is caused as each wheel rolls across each of the several transverse gaps in the intersecting rails, resulting in noise and vibration as Well as wear and deterioration of the rolling stock, and the rails and foundation thereof. Attempts have previously been made to eliminate or lessen this impact, particularly in tramway or street railway practice, by providing in each rail a raised or inclined metal flangeway immediately adjacent to each rail intersection, whereby the wheels in passing over the crossing are supported on their flanges instead of on their treads. vThis provision is in general use in Australia and in many other parts of the world, but has several disadvantages including the following:

(a) An impact, accompanied by noise, usually occurs when the flange of each wheel meets its raised fiangeway and again when it leaves the flangeway.

(1)) Owing to inequalities in the depths of the flanges of the wheels, difficulty is experienced in constructing and maintaining the raised flangeway at such a height that all wheels will pass over the crossing without being either raised to some extent or left unsupported when traversing the transverse gaps in the rails. In either of such cases, an impact occurs as aforesaid.

(c)v Severe wear takes place on the wheels and rails (including the flangeways), and the foundations for the rails are adversely affected by the continual impacts and vibration;

((1) Replacement of worn metal on the rails by welding is usually detrimental to the strength and/or durability of the rails forming the cross- The primary object of the present'invention' is to provide an improved tramway or railway crossing or the like which embodies means whereby each of the rail vehicle wheels is supported resiliently as it passes over the crossing with the result that the aforesaid undesirable impact, noise, vibration and wear of both the wheels and rails is reduced to a minimum.

The invention may be applied to crossings on straight or curved track, of any angle of inter-.

section, and of any type or combination of types of construction. For example, the improved crossings may be of cast steel or of rail sections built up together by bolting, riveting, welding, or other means.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of portion of a rail track crossing or intersection in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, parts being broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section showing a wheel traversing the improved cross- Figure 4 is a cross section of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing a resilient bearing which forms part of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on line VI-VI of Figure 2.

Figure '7 is a cross section taken on line VII VII of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a cross section taken on line VIII VIII of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on a reduced scale, of portion of a rail track crossing in accordance with a modification of the invention.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal section 'of portion of a rail track crossing in accordance with another modification of the invention.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of portion of a rail track crossing in accordance with a still further modification of the invention. The following description refers by wayof example to several practical embodiments of the invention as applied to a tramway crossing-in which two tramway tracks intersect substantially at right angles. With a double track in each direction the number of rail intersections in the crossing, is sixteen. The special trackwork required is preferably manufactured in four pieces, I

consists of two arms 2a, the upper surfaces 1 of which are inclined downwardly from their central junction 8 towards their outer extremities, which are preferably rounded as at 9 so as to facilitate smooth engagement by a wheel flange.

The central portion of the upper surface of each wheel supporting member 2 is adapted to be operatively positioned in relation to the treads 3a. of its associated intersecting rails in such a manner that when a wheel 6 is passing over the transverse gaps H in the rail intersections, the wheel flange 4 tracks lengthwise of one of the said arms 20., which are adapted to support the vehicle load resiliently whilst the wheels are traversing said gaps, preferably without raising the wheel treads 6a out of engagement with the treads 3a of the rails. In some instances, such for example as when an empty tram is passing over the improved crossing, the wheel treads may possibly be raised clear of the rail treads, but even in such circumstances, the wheel treads would not be raised to any appreciable degree, such as would result in an objectionable impact when the wheels engage and leave the flange bearing members.

The wheel supporting members 2 are accommodated in compartments l6 formed between each rail 3 and an associated access plate il removably connected, for example, to the web 3b of its rail and spaced apart therefrom so as to form a longitudinal channel it between the upper edge portion of the access plate and the head of its rail for the purpose of accommodating the wheel flanges.

Accommodated within the compartments it are resilient bearings and anchorage devices for the wheel supporting members 2. The resilient bearings for each Wheel supporting member may be of any suitable formation and according to one practical embodiment a plurality of rubber pads 2! is provided, one or more of which is or are located beneath each arm of the wheel supporting member. Each rubber pad 2i is preferably accommodated within a telescopic casing 22 provided at its upper end with a seating 23 adapted to accommodate the lower edge portion of one of the arms 2a of the wheel supporting member. The rubber pads or other resilient bearings 2i are adapted to be mounted upon the rail flange or any other suitable mounting associated therewith. Any suitable means such for example as screw devices, shims or the like may be provided for adjusting the effective height of the rubber pads, in accordance with requirements.

A plurality of limit steps 25 is preferably positioned beneath each wheel supporting member 2 in order to limit downward movement thereof and these limit stops may be fixed or capable of adjustment in a vertical direction.

In combination with the foregoing, suitable anchorage devices are provided for preventing tilting of the wheel supporting members 2 and limiting their movement in an upward direction. For this purpose, the arm of each wheel supporting member may be pivotally connected as at 21 to one or more holding-down bolts 28 which are preferably cushioned against the re-bound of the wheel supporting member after the passage of each wheel thereover. For example, each such bolt may extend downwardly through a hole 29 in the rail flange or an associated supporting plate and be provided at its lower end with one or more nuts 3|. A coiled spring resilient pad or the like 32 is positioned on the holding-down bolt between the nuts and the bottom of the rail flange or supporting plate.

In use, as a tram or like rail vehicle approaches the improved crossing, the flanges 4 of its wheels 6 engage the leading ends of the resilient wheel supporting members 2 without any material shock to the Wheel. The wheel supporting members '2 are adapted to carry the whole, or at least the major portion, of the load on the wheels, preferably without raising the wheel treads Go out of contact with the treads 3a of the rails. Any elevation of the wheels that might occur is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, when the wheels are crossing the transverse gaps in the rails, downward movement of the wheels in relation to the rails is prevented, or at least minimized and as a result, the undesirable impact and consequential noise, vibration and wear are reduced to a minimum.

According to a modification, the wheel supporting members are of elongated formation so each wheel supporting member is constructed in such a manner as to be capable of functioning as a spring when engaged by a wheel flange. For example, as seen in Figure 10, each wheel supporting member may consist of a plurality of superposed spring plates or leaves 20 which may be retained in their operative position by a plurality of retaining members 4i! and holding down bolts 28. This type of laminated spring wheel supporting memberZh may be employed with the aforesaid resilient bearings or it may be mountedv upon rigid supports 4| in accordance with requirements.

According to a still further modification, each wheel supporting member is composed of any suitable elastic material, such for example as hard rubber or the like. The latter type of wheel supporting member 2d which is illustrated in Figure 11, may be mounted upon fixed supports 4| and adapted to be compressed when engaged by a wheel flange 4. One or more retaining members 4!} and anchoring bolts or the like 23a. may be provided for retaining the wheel supporting member 20 in position. The composition of this wheel supporting member is such that it is adapted to resiliently support the whole or the major portion of the load, without raising the wheel treads from the rail treads to any appreciable degree, as aforesaid.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing, that wheel supporting members in accordance with the present invention may also be readily adapted for embodiment in .rail point structures by providing suitable accommodatio for such wheel supporting members and the bearings, anchorage devices and other parts associated therewith. For example, the improved wheel supporting members are particularly suitable for use with dummy or mate rail structures of the type which are associated with movable tongue point devices.

Various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be embodied in the foregoing, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tramway or railway crossing to accommodate flanged wheels, the combination of a crossed wheel supporting member located at each rail intersection and engaged by the wheel flanges in traversing the crossing, resilient supporting means to support said crossed wheel supporting member, and adjustable anchoring means operating counter to said supporting member to regulate the efiective height of the supporting member in such manner that the operative position of each supporting member is predetermined and arranged to resiliently support substantially the average full load of the wheels'without raising the wheel treads out of contact with the rail treads thereby eliminating downward movement of the wheels while traversing the gaps at the intersection of the rails.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which each of the adjustable anchorage devices is connected to each said wheel supporting member, each anchorage device comprising means to minimize tilting of its associated wheel supporting memher about said resilient mountings and to limit 1 its movement in an upward direction.

3. A device according to claim 1' wherein said adjustment means comprises a plurality of anchoringbolts which are pivotally connected to the arms of said wheel supporting member and adjustably connected to a .rigid support, said anchoring bolts being fitted with springs or resilient pads to limit or cushion vertical movements thereof for the purposes specified.

40 '4. A device according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of resilient mountings are positioned beneath the arms of each said wheel supporting member, said mountings being carried by a rigid support having limit stops vertically co-aligned with said arms, a plurality of anchoring bolts being pivotally connected at their upper ends to said arms and adjustably connected at their opposite ends to said rigid support for the purposes specified.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein said wheel supporting members are of elongated construction so as to extend over two or more rail intersections, said elongated wheel supporting members being provided with a plurality of resilient bearings and anchorage devices for limiting vertical movements thereof in relation to the treads of the associated rails.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein said wheel supporting member is of elongated construction so as to extend over two or more rail intersections, said elongated wheel supporting member comprising a plurality of articulated sections which are provided with a plurality of resilient bearings and adjustable anchorage devices for limiting vertical movements thereof in relaton to the treads of the associated rails.

7. In a tramway or railway crossing to accom- ,modate flanged wheels, the combination of a porting member to limit vertical movements thereof after being depressed by the passage of the wheel flanges thereover.

TOM PERCIVAL STRICKLAND. ALLAN TERENCE OMEARA. 

